Vehicle seat assemblies typically include a generally vertical seat back assembly pivotally coupled to a generally horizontal seat cushion assembly by a recliner assembly for providing selective pivotal movement of the seat back assembly between a plurality of reclined positions. The recliner assembly commonly employs a plurality of camming lobes and interconnected locking member for selectively locking the seat back assembly in one of the reclined positions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,744 to Barley, issued May 24, 1983 exemplifies a vehicle seat reclining mechanism having a manual control member on a rotatable shaft for lifting a first toothed locking segment, or pawl, on the seat back frame out of contact with a second toothed locking segment, or rack, on the seat base to allow pivotal movement of the seat back frame to a reclined position. The first segment is lifted away from the second segment by a control arm, or cam, secured and rotatable with the shaft. The shaft, however, is not directly linked to the first toothed locking segment to further control the movement thereof with respect to the second toothed locking segment.
It remains desirable to provide a simplified recliner assembly having a manual release member interconnected to both the pawl and the control arm of the locking mechanism for movement between a locked and unlocked position with the seat back frame, thereby providing a common pivot and link between the release member and locking mechanism.